Liquid phase densification of nitrogen based ceramics is well known in the art. The ceramic components are dry or wet mixed with liquid phase forming oxide additives such as magnesia, alumina, yttria, and the like. The resultant powder compact is then densified by hot-pressing, hot-isostatic pressing, or pressureless sintering. The preparation of nitrogen based ceramics by the above methods has been described, for example, by Lange, International Metals Reviews, 1980 No. 1, pp. 1-19; Jack, J. Materials Science, 11(1976): 1135-1158; Terwilliger et al., J. Materials Science, 10(1975): 1169-1174; Mitomo, J. Materials Science, 11(1976): 1103-1107; Greskovich, J. Am. Ceramic Soc., 64: 725-730; and Smith et al., Proc. of Symp. of Factors in Densification and Sintering of Oxide and Non-oxide Ceramics, 1978, Japan.
The term liquid phase densification of ceramics is used to describe those processes where a small amount of a liquid phase present in the inter-particle interfaces of a powder compact leads to a significant enhancement in the densification rate as compared to the case where the liquid phase is not present. The mechanism of densification, in both cases, is diffusional transport of atoms from particle-particle interfaces to the interstitial pore regions formed by imperfect packing of particles in the powder compact. Densification is achieved as the pores are filled by the diffusion mechanism. The process is usually carried out at high temperatures. The liquid phase enhances densification by enhancing the diffusion rate of atoms along the interfaces.
While the liquid phase densification of nitrogen-based ceramics has shown promise, the attainment of maximum densities has been thwarted by a vaporization or volatilization phenomenon since apparently N.sub.2 or other off gas is formed during the densification process, preventing maximum densification. Thermodynamic calculations and experiments in very low oxygen atmospheres have shown that one of the probable decomposition reaction is EQU Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 (crystal).fwdarw.3Si(liquid)+2N.sub.2 (gas)
The resultant gas bubbles in the liquid phase prevent complete densification of the powder aggregate.
It is noted that the process for preparing reaction-bonded-silicon nitride is not intended to be included with the scope of this invention. In that process, a compact of at least a predominant amount of silicon powder is fired in a nitrogen atmosphere to produce silicon nitride. The resultant product of this process generally is porous and has inferior mechanical strength.